- Jun 10, 2023
- 196
- 53
- 28
"Your next challenge is to hunt a crow... you will be given until next sunhigh to bring one here."
Silversmoke's words echo in his ears. Hunting... Crowpaw struggled with it most compared to fighting. Especially when it came to prey that weren't birds. Rodents in particular were the worst to catch because by the time he was able to track their scent, they already scurried away from his claws. If Silversmoke had asked him to bring back a squirrel he would have panicking. A crow is a bird. A large one at that. He remembers seeing them moons ago with Cherrypaw when they were still friends. She had given him the very two crow feathers he wore to this day. Perhaps it was foolish of him to hold on to something from her. After all, they weren't friends anymore. He could talk to her, but it seemed like she had better things to do like talk to her other friends. In any case, he knew what a crow was and thankfully his love and appreciation for birds would make this easier.
After all, he'd spent his free time bird watching. Listening to their calls, their habits, what kind of food they ate, and some bird battles. I have to hurry. Crows rarely show up in the night. But I can't be too fast, they usually hang out in groups. The black tom traverses through the forest, claws sheathed lest he want to alert every single creature he was on the prowl. Ears flick at the sound of wings flapping and hazel eyes dart at the source. That's not a crow. It's a woodpecker and while he is given directions to hunt a bird, it is not what he was assigned. He spares the woodpecker another glance before taking a moment to turn his head to the sky and try to discern the scents that lingered in the air. Not here. Too many scents, but mostly squirrels.
The black tom shakes his head before padding off a good distance away, keeping an eye out for a familiar black bird. Ears flick, the rustling of leaves cause the apprentice to whip himself in the direction of the source. He remains still, not wanting to scare the creature away. What are you? A few seconds past before he hears a small squeak. That's enough for him to abandon that potential hunt. Birds like to be in trees, so being on the ground will make things harder. Problem is, these crows like to stick in groups. I don't have a choice though. And so the hulking black tom takes a running start to a nearby tree and scales it. Once he's found a sturdy branch he steadies himself and looks beyond. That's a nest, but can't be a crow. The moon will rise soon. Once I find them, I can't mess it up! His fur pricks from nerves, the thought of failing this test is becoming real. However, before he can spiral he thinks of his father Silversmoke being disappointed in him. And that alone fuels him.
Powerful hindlegs push against bark, causing the boy to propel in the air. It's dangerous to leap across branches. One wrong move and he could break something or worst case scenario wind up dead. He comes to a screeching halt when he hears a familiar caw. I found you. Without a doubt it is difficult not to chase after the sound, but if he had done so then he could've kissed his assessment goodbye. What should I do? Hazel eyes dart rapidly at its surroundings noting every obstacle in his path, every other bird nearby, as well as the squirrels eating below him. A black paw begins to put pressure on a branch, wincing at how loud it creaks. Maybe? Maybe going back down is safer? Yeah. That sounds okay... With that, the apprentice carefully drops to the ground. A sigh of relief laws his maw when another caw is heard. Claws are sheathed once more before he carefully follows the sound and eventually scent. As the scent becomes stronger, the lower he crouches. At this point the apprentice is practically kissing the ground.
Finally he finds them. A flock of crows hopping about and cawing. They appear to be feasting on something. Don't be hasty. He isn't sure how long he stares at the flock, all he knows is that he must pick carefully. Yes, all of them are distracted but one in particular has its back faced to him. This one. As soon as the crow bends its neck down, he unsheathes his claws and darts out of his hiding spot. Numerous caws and fluttering of wings can be heard. Teeth sink into a black feathery neck. A strained caw leaves his victims throat. The black bird and smoke tom struggle for a bit, the bird nearly leaving his grasp had it not been for his quick thinking in sinking his claws into its wings.
A symphony of caws can be heard from the flock above watching in horror as their friend struggles. Crowpaw isn't sure how much time has passed between kicking and wrestling the creature before it is exhausted. It moves faintly, but all fight has left it. The apprentice releases his claws from its body, awkwardly holding the big bird by it's neck. Shallow breaths fill his ears before he finds himself staring at the flock of crows above. They are silent. Almost as if grieving. The next moment he clenches the neck in his maw harder and finally, finally the crow goes limp. Beady eyes stare at him that it's beginning to become unsettling under their gaze. I better get out of here.
With that, the apprentice rushes away (awkwardly mind you) with a crow in tow. I did it. Let's show Silversmoke.
Silversmoke's words echo in his ears. Hunting... Crowpaw struggled with it most compared to fighting. Especially when it came to prey that weren't birds. Rodents in particular were the worst to catch because by the time he was able to track their scent, they already scurried away from his claws. If Silversmoke had asked him to bring back a squirrel he would have panicking. A crow is a bird. A large one at that. He remembers seeing them moons ago with Cherrypaw when they were still friends. She had given him the very two crow feathers he wore to this day. Perhaps it was foolish of him to hold on to something from her. After all, they weren't friends anymore. He could talk to her, but it seemed like she had better things to do like talk to her other friends. In any case, he knew what a crow was and thankfully his love and appreciation for birds would make this easier.
After all, he'd spent his free time bird watching. Listening to their calls, their habits, what kind of food they ate, and some bird battles. I have to hurry. Crows rarely show up in the night. But I can't be too fast, they usually hang out in groups. The black tom traverses through the forest, claws sheathed lest he want to alert every single creature he was on the prowl. Ears flick at the sound of wings flapping and hazel eyes dart at the source. That's not a crow. It's a woodpecker and while he is given directions to hunt a bird, it is not what he was assigned. He spares the woodpecker another glance before taking a moment to turn his head to the sky and try to discern the scents that lingered in the air. Not here. Too many scents, but mostly squirrels.
The black tom shakes his head before padding off a good distance away, keeping an eye out for a familiar black bird. Ears flick, the rustling of leaves cause the apprentice to whip himself in the direction of the source. He remains still, not wanting to scare the creature away. What are you? A few seconds past before he hears a small squeak. That's enough for him to abandon that potential hunt. Birds like to be in trees, so being on the ground will make things harder. Problem is, these crows like to stick in groups. I don't have a choice though. And so the hulking black tom takes a running start to a nearby tree and scales it. Once he's found a sturdy branch he steadies himself and looks beyond. That's a nest, but can't be a crow. The moon will rise soon. Once I find them, I can't mess it up! His fur pricks from nerves, the thought of failing this test is becoming real. However, before he can spiral he thinks of his father Silversmoke being disappointed in him. And that alone fuels him.
Powerful hindlegs push against bark, causing the boy to propel in the air. It's dangerous to leap across branches. One wrong move and he could break something or worst case scenario wind up dead. He comes to a screeching halt when he hears a familiar caw. I found you. Without a doubt it is difficult not to chase after the sound, but if he had done so then he could've kissed his assessment goodbye. What should I do? Hazel eyes dart rapidly at its surroundings noting every obstacle in his path, every other bird nearby, as well as the squirrels eating below him. A black paw begins to put pressure on a branch, wincing at how loud it creaks. Maybe? Maybe going back down is safer? Yeah. That sounds okay... With that, the apprentice carefully drops to the ground. A sigh of relief laws his maw when another caw is heard. Claws are sheathed once more before he carefully follows the sound and eventually scent. As the scent becomes stronger, the lower he crouches. At this point the apprentice is practically kissing the ground.
Finally he finds them. A flock of crows hopping about and cawing. They appear to be feasting on something. Don't be hasty. He isn't sure how long he stares at the flock, all he knows is that he must pick carefully. Yes, all of them are distracted but one in particular has its back faced to him. This one. As soon as the crow bends its neck down, he unsheathes his claws and darts out of his hiding spot. Numerous caws and fluttering of wings can be heard. Teeth sink into a black feathery neck. A strained caw leaves his victims throat. The black bird and smoke tom struggle for a bit, the bird nearly leaving his grasp had it not been for his quick thinking in sinking his claws into its wings.
A symphony of caws can be heard from the flock above watching in horror as their friend struggles. Crowpaw isn't sure how much time has passed between kicking and wrestling the creature before it is exhausted. It moves faintly, but all fight has left it. The apprentice releases his claws from its body, awkwardly holding the big bird by it's neck. Shallow breaths fill his ears before he finds himself staring at the flock of crows above. They are silent. Almost as if grieving. The next moment he clenches the neck in his maw harder and finally, finally the crow goes limp. Beady eyes stare at him that it's beginning to become unsettling under their gaze. I better get out of here.
With that, the apprentice rushes away (awkwardly mind you) with a crow in tow. I did it. Let's show Silversmoke.
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— crowpaw / skyclan apprentice / masculine pronouns / 11 moons
— undecided / polyamorous / padding after oddpaw and owlpaw
— long haired black smoke with hazel eyes and polydactyly
— may powerplay minor harm / can powerplay healing
— biography / @ on discord for plots
— penned by velou
